Safes

Though dozens of varieties of safes are available, in-home models fall into three basic categories. They come in various sizes and shapes and have different outward appearances. While those aren’t necessarily the most important factors to consider, understanding the types available to you can help when choosing the best model for your needs.

• Stand-Alone Safes: As the name indicates, stand-alone safes are usually freestanding models. You can affix them to the floor, but that’s really not necessary because they’re often too heavy to easily move around. They’re extremely versatile and can hold virtually anything. Their flexible layout and variety of locking options allow you quite a bit of freedom of choice.
• Wall Safes: Wall safes are generally embedded in interior walls and hidden by paintings or other decorative elements. You can have them mounted in different ways, but they’re usually affixed to wall studs. These types of safes typically aren’t quite as heavy as their stand-alone counterparts mainly because they’d be more difficult to support if they were. Thieves have been known to simply cut these safes out of walls and steal them along with their contents.
• Floor Safes: Wall safes have become somewhat predictable over the years, but burglars often overlook in-floor models. They’re embedded in floors and tend to be heavier than wall-mounted varieties. They’re typically anchored to the floor and aren’t as easy to move as wall safes. In many cases, they’re much less convenient for homeowners as well, though.

Among these types of safes, you’ll also find several subsets. You may hear them called gun safes or jewelry safes to mention a few specific names. These titles refer more to the interior setup and overall purpose of the safe more so than anything else. In truth, you can store anything you like in them, but they’re often meant for safety or concealment rather than security.